Everlasting Roses

You've heard the story of the Tucks. But they weren't the first people to discover the spring; on the contrary, far from it. Zakinerose Witherman was born into a life of privilege. Her father gave her anything she ever wanted. Sadly at the age of 16, she was left to her whiles and wondered the shores of England when pirates took her captive, leaving behind her basket and wrap.

After many years, she escaped and wandered, lost and confused in a foreign land to her. Loss and tragedy followed her, and she was finally at her end. Zakinerose decided to lean against a tree and wait for death to take her. Death didn't come, for she heard a trickle of water, and upon looking down, she discovered a small spring, and her thirst overcame her, and she instantly cupped her hands and began drinking some of the glorious liquid. As soon as the water touched her lips, she knew something had changed.

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A little over a year had passed since the Tucks had drunk from the spring; Kina remained nearby to keep an eye on them. She wanted to see how they were handling everything. She'd been there when somebody shot their horse. She was nearby when Jesse fell from the tree. Now she was present while Miles was courting a young lady from town. From the flower stand, she saw Miles pass the young lady a flower and speak to her as if she was the only girl in the world. Kina blushed, wishing someone, anyone, would say those words to her. She felt her heart thump against her chest as she watched him. He was the eldest of the Tuck boys, but he was the most handsome in Kina's eyes. Smiling, Kina took Miles' payment, and though their hands grazed just a bit as she took it, only Kina felt the reaction, and her smile faltered. "Have a lovely day," she spoke softly to them and watched as they wandered on through town.

Shaking her head, she passed the money to the stand owner, who was staring at her. "Why don't you have a fella of your own, Miss Kina?" Looking up at him, she frowned before looking to the ground. "No one wants someone like me. Besides, I'm happiest being alone. No one to say I'm doing something wrong."She said with a forced smile. The stand owner practically saw the strain it was taking her to smile. "Very well. Why don't you run along for the day? We aient that busy. I should be fine alone." Kina's head jerked up to the coworker and frowned with confusion. "I'm fine." She started, but the stern look from her employer caused her to nod before grabbing her shawl and heading out of the little cashier's area of the stand.

Kina always hated being around ordinary people for an extended amount of time, mostly because, in the end, they still hurt her. So she had been making a plan to leave as soon as she finished watching the Tucks, but the longer Kina stayed, the longer the immortal wished she could make her presence known to them. But that was the biggest fear she had, That the Tucks discovered that she hadn't stopped them from this never-ending life. Unlike them, she was pleased with eternity alone. She could be whoever she wanted, and when the woman finished, she would either fake her death or leave. The beauty was nobody cared about her presence. She was a nameless, faceless person of history that no one quite knew.

As she walked, she found herself wandering toward the spring, and a smile graced her features as it had been a while since she had visited her children and knew it was about time. The only problem was that every time she would try to see them, one of the Tucks was nearby, and it prevented her from visiting them. She didn't want them to discover the truth, and if they knew, she was afraid of what they would do or say to her. They couldn't kill or harm her, and besides that, she found they were gentle people who wouldn't hurt a living soul unless they felt threatened. That's the last thing she ever wanted to do.

Glancing around, she didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't around. Jesse tended to climb trees so he could be above, and with that thought, she looked toward the tops of the trees to see if perhaps he was nearby. She didn't see anything, so she felt safe enough to lay under a nearby tree but made sure it wasn't the one that held the spring in case one of the Tucks wandered by and saw her. Closing her eyes, the red-haired lady drifted off to sleep with a smile on her lips and dreams of her babies dancing through her head. It wasn't uncommon for Kina to find a place to nap in the woods though she didn't often do it so out in the open like she was.

It was something that helped her remember what she was living for. She was living for the three babies that were buried in the meadow. Remaining in her comfortable sleeping position, Kina didn't notice the footsteps approaching her sleeping form. She was blissfully unaware that she was about to be caught. The person bent down next to her, tilting their head and staring at the red-haired female. They were curious as not many traveled into these woods, especially to take a nap. Being shaken awake was not a pleasant experience, and one that surprised Kina as she sat up and looked around to see what had woken her.

When her eyes met light brown eyes, Kina gasped and scouted away. They belonged to none other than Jesse Tuck, and Kina tried to stand, but her brain wasn't connecting to her legs, and so she just slipped back to the ground. "Don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you." Kina nodded, and it caused the boy to smile. "I'm Jesse Tuck. What's your name?" Staring at him for what seemed like an eternity, Kina gave him a gentle smile before replying with her name. "I'm Kina. Please to meet you, Jesse." Jesse smiled at the old female and stood, holding his hand out to help her to her feet. "Thank you." Kina stood with his help and dusted her dress off lightly.

"I should be going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jesse." Kina replied before turning to escape, but before she got very far, a hand wrapped around her arm to stop her. "Wait. You don't need to leave. Besides, you were here first. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Looking up at Jesse, Kina nodded with a faint smile. "I appreciate it. I am fine. I just thought it was so peaceful in the wood and wished to take a nap." Jesse nodded and gave her a slight smile. He placed his hands in his pockets and turned little toward the spring before turning to look back at her. "It is quite nice here. I often enjoy naps here in the woods." Kina tilted her head and watched him as she held in her smirk because she knew he was curious about the spring.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Tuck?" Kina tilted her head with innocent curiosity as she watched him. Jesse turned to look at the red-haired female, who seemed almost curious about where he was looking. "Did you seem something interesting over there?" she asked before walking around him and slightly toward the spring. With a gasp, Jesse grabbed her arm and pulled her around. Kina looked up at him with wide eyes, and she just stared up at him. "Jesse!" Kina said with a gasp as she stared up at him, shocked and confused by his reaction. The young man cleared his throat and released her arm. Jesse looked away from Kina, who just stared at him for a few moments. "Jesse....what's wrong?" Jesse's gaze shifted to the older female, and a smile captured his face, which surprised the female immortal.

The female couldn't help but be concerned with the look on his face. "I apologize if I frightened you. I do not want you to get lost in the woods. It's quite easy to do." Kina frowned, looking up at him before glancing around at the forest that surrounded them. It was strange, but the female immortal knew that the younger eternal male didn't wish for her to go to the spring, but he didn't know that Kina had already entered into this infinite life they were living. "You do not need worry for me. I have been around these woods for several years and will not get lost. But I do appreciate your concern for me." Kina smiled at Jesse before they heard a nearby sound, causing the woman to look back to the teenager. "I need to be going. It was nice meeting you." While Jesse was turning to acknowledge her, Kina made her escape and hid nearby so they wouldn't see her.

As soon as she was out of sight, a second male entered the clearing and spoke to Jesse. Kina released a sigh before standing and walking away from them. Perhaps the Tucks would accept this though she had to wonder if they knew what they had become or if it was just slight suspicion at this point. Kina supposed only time would tell. She did begin to think about when she first noticed something was different. Though with Kina, she was dying when she drank from the spring, and it refreshed her, so it was pretty instant for her. When the Tucks had drunk, they didn't seem as if they were desperate for refreshment as she had been. Glancing over her shoulder toward the brothers, and took in a breath. Kina couldn't help but wonder what the future held for this immortal family.